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Things are off to a strong start for Cadillac and the new CTS. As you likely read in our First Test of the performance-oriented CTS Vsport, that twin-turbo V-6 model had more than enough gumption to dispatch the twin-turbo V-8-powered BMW 550i and outgoing Mercedes-Benz E550 across the board. Cadillac‘s figured out how to go fast, then, but what about the rest of the line? Turns out, they’ve got their bases covered.

Let’s start with the base engine. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in this Cadillac is no stranger to the brand, or to the greater General Motors. Here, it makes 272 horsepower and a stout 295 pound-feet of torque. It’s backed up by the same six-speed automatic as in the smaller ATS and, in this case, an all-wheel drive powertrain. On the track, it all came together for a zero-to-60 mph sprint in six seconds flat and a quarter-mile drag in 14.5 seconds at 93.5 mph. Stopping from 60 mph required 115 feet, while the CTS pulled 0.81 g average on the skid pad and ran a Figure Eight lap of 26.8 seconds with 0.65 average g.

Looking across the pond, it’s a strong performance. It’s quicker to 60 mph and through the quarter-mile than the new 195-horsepower and 369-pound-foot E250 diesel by a long shot and quicker than the 240-horsepower and 260-pound-foot 528i by a smaller margin, 6.2 seconds to six flat. In braking, the Cadillac is one foot behind the heavier Mercedes but a surprising nine feet behind the BMW. It’s a similar story on the skid pad, where the Germans both pull high average gs (0.85 for the Benz and 0.88 for the Bimmer), though Cadillac splits the difference on the Figure Eight, just behind the BMW (26.5 seconds at 0.68 g average) and well ahead of the Mercedes (27.1 seconds at 0.63 g average). Part of this can be attributed to the fact that the Cadillac and the Mercedes were wearing all-season tires while the BMW was wearing performance summer tires. Another contribution would be the Cadillac’s all-wheel drive, which I found tended to understeer more than rear-wheel drive models. On the other hand, despite Cadillac’s claims of weight saving superiority, this fully loaded CTS was actually 40 pounds heavier than the well-equipped 528i. The E250 was substantially heavier.

Moving up to the naturally aspirated V-6 CTS tells a different story. Our loaded V-6 CTS weighed less than the four-cylinder thanks to it being rear-wheel drive. That and the advantage in horsepower, 321 vs 272, should put it out ahead of the four-cylinder, but that’s not the case. Down on torque at just 275 pound-feet, the V-6 CTS needed 6.3 seconds to hit 60 mph and 14.7 seconds to run the quarter-mile, trapping at 96.7 mph. Were we to guess, we’d think the all-wheel drive launch was an advantage for the four-cylinder, as was a more aggressive final drive ratio, greater torque and much earlier torque peak. Cadillac claims the turbo four sits at peak torque from 1700 rpm to 5500 rpm, while the V-6 doesn’t hit its peak until 4800 rpm.

In other results, the V-6 car needed just 111 feet to stop from 60 mph. On the skid pad, it pulled 0.85 g average and went on to lay down a 26.7-second Figure Eight lap at 0.66 average g.

Pitted against a new, albeit all-wheel drive, 302 horsepower and 272 pound-foot E350, the V-6 Cadillac is dead even to 60 mph and just slightly ahead at the quarter-mile mark, the Benz needing 14.8 seconds at 95.5 mph. The E-Class stopped just slightly shorter at 110 feet and pulled higher average g on the skid pad at 0.89, followed by a quicker Figure Eight lap of 26.2 seconds at a significantly higher average g of 0.70. Of course, the Mercedes was running on performance summer tires to the Cadillac’s all-seasons.

It’s a much tougher fight against the 535i, which is both turbocharged and underrated at 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet. That car, despite being heavier, used its power and summer tires to hit 60 mph eight-tenths of a second faster than the other two at 5.5 seconds and run a significantly quicker quarter-mile drag in 14 seconds flat at 99.3 mph. It also stopped significantly shorter at 106 feet and posted a better lateral g number of 0.89 g on the skid pad along with a quicker Figure Eight lap time of 25.9 seconds at 0.69 g average.

It isn’t, then, the dominating performance that we saw from the CTS Vsport, but rather a closely matched fight between bitter rivals. Depending on the test day and the tires spec’d, all three cars should be running very closely with one another regardless of model. The real test will be in how the cars compose themselves in the real world. We know the Cadillac benefits from a very, very good chassis derived from the new ATS, which beat its German rivals in a handling-oriented comparison but fell behind in a consumer-oriented comparison. Will the new CTS have the complete package necessary to claw ahead of the Germans (not to mention the Japanese and the British) once and for all? It should be a good fight.

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